The Tempest | TheBookSeekers

The Tempest


Oxford School Shakespeare

,

No. of pages 160

Published: 2001

Great for age 12-18 years

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The "Oxford School Shakespeare" series helps students understand and enjoy Shakespeare's plays. As well as the complete and unabridged text, each play is provided with an extensive range of students' notes. These include detailed and clear explanations of difficult words and passages, a synopsis of the plot, summaries of individual scenes, and notes on the main characters. Also included is a wide range of questions and activities for work in class, together with the historical background to Shakespeare's England, a brief biography of Shakespeare, and a complete list of his plays. For this new edition, the entire text of the book has been redesigned and reset to make it easier to read. Photographs of recent stage productions have been included and there is a new cover design.

 

 

This book is part of a book series called Oxford School Shakespeare .

There are 160 pages in this book.

It is aimed at Young Adult readers. The term Young Adult (YA) is used for books which have the following characteristics: (1) aimed at ages 12-18 years, US grades 7-12, UK school years 8-15, (2) around 50-75k words long, (3) main character is aged 12-18 years, (4) topics include self-reflection, internal conflict vs external, analyzing life and its meaning, (5) point of view is often in the first person, and (6) swearing, violence, romance and sexuality are allowed.

This book was published in 2001 by Oxford University Press .

Rene Weis is Professor of English at University College London and a distinguished editor and biographer of Shakespeare. Series editor, Roma Gill, has taught Shakespeare at all levels, and has acted in, directed, and given lectures on Shakespeare's plays the world over.

 

This book contains the following story:

The Tempest

"The Tempest" is a play written by William Shakespeare and is believed to be one of his last works. The play is a tale of magic, betrayal, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

Act 1: The play opens on a remote island where Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, and his daughter Miranda have been stranded for twelve years. Prospero's brother, Antonio, and Alonso, the King of Naples, conspired to overthrow him and left him and Miranda to die at sea. However, they were saved by Gonzalo, a loyal advisor, and are now living on the island.

Act 2:Prospero, who is skilled in magic, conjures a storm, the titular "tempest," to shipwreck his brother Antonio and Alonso, along with others who were part of the conspiracy. The passengers of the ship, including Ferdinand, Alonso's son, are separated on the island.

Act 3:Ferdinand, believing his father has drowned, encounters Miranda, and they fall deeply in love. Prospero, still holding a grudge against Antonio and Alonso, puts Ferdinand through several trials to test his love for Miranda.

Meanwhile, on another part of the island, Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill Alonso and take control of Naples. However, their plans are thwarted by Ariel, a spirit bound to Prospero's service, who alerts Alonso's loyal counselor, Gonzalo.

Act 4:Prospero's spirit servant, Ariel, torments Alonso and the others by creating illusions and confusion. During this time, Caliban, a native inhabitant of the island, joins forces with two drunken sailors, Stephano and Trinculo, to overthrow Prospero. However, their plot fails, and they end up being the subjects of Prospero's magic tricks and manipulation.

Act 5:As the play nears its conclusion, Prospero finally reveals himself to Alonso and the others, confronting them about their past treachery. However, Prospero's anger and thirst for revenge begin to wane as he witnesses their remorse. He ultimately decides to forgive them.

Prospero also reunites Ferdinand and Miranda, giving his consent to their marriage. He frees Ariel, acknowledging the spirit's faithful service, and forgives Caliban for his past misdeeds.

Finally, Prospero addresses the audience directly, requesting their applause and acknowledging that the power of his magic and the illusionary world of the island will soon dissipate. The play ends with a sense of reconciliation, forgiveness, and a new beginning for all characters involved.

"The Tempest" explores themes of power, revenge, forgiveness, and the transformative power of love. The play's magical elements, complex characters, and exploration of human nature make it one of Shakespeare's most captivating and thought-provoking works.

This book is in the following series:

Oxford School Shakespeare

This book features the following characters:

John Shakespeare
This book features the character John Shakespeare.

William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor. He wrote plays, sonnets and verse and is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the English Language. Son of a glove maker, he grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway and had three children, though one died very young. Shakespeare left Stratford to pursue theatre in London, where he acted at the Globe Theatre, wrote and was part owner of a playing company called 'The Lord Chamberlein's Men' (later 'The King's Men').

Shakespeare
This book features the character Shakespeare.

Mary Arden
This book features the character Mary Arden.

Anne Hathaway
This book features the character Anne Hathaway.